ISLAMABAD, June 26(Daily Times): Higher Education Commission
(HEC) Executive Director Dr Sohail Naqvi received on Monday a prestigious French
academic award in recognition of the role he played in Pakistan-France academic
cooperation.

The award was given to him at a ceremony held at the
residence of French Ambassador to Pakistan Regis de Belenet. HEC Chairman Dr
Attaur Rahman and some National Assembly members were also present on the
occasion.

The event also marked a farewell to 160 Pakistani students who
were to leave for France for higher studies, as the French Embassy and the HEC
launched the 2007 edition of their postgraduate studies' programme. The students
will join French universities in September 2007 at PhD level.

The
ceremony was told that Pakistani students' growing attraction for France,
especially over the last four years, had led 102 students to opt for a master's
degree or a PhD in France in 2005 and 147 students in 2006.

Students for
the 2007-programme have been selected through the HEC selection process on the
basis of merit and interviews with French professors.

Speaking on the
occasion, the French ambassador said the number of Pakistani students going to
France had been increasing since 2002.

He said the increase was owing to
Pakistan's growing interest in the French higher education
system.

Belenet said the number of French companies in Pakistan was also
increasing, and they were in search of fresh PhD degree holders in their
respective fields. He said likewise, Pakistani companies were keen to do
business with Europe and France and they would recruit young, brilliant and
French speaking managers.